I Do
by Norah Rose
Summary: Ryan and Jenny's wedding is quickly approaching. What happens when both Kate Beckett and Rick Castle find themselves in need of a date?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Here it is! I've been working on this for a while now and I feel the first chapter is finally decent enough to share. Please let me know what you think, and if this is good enough to go on!

I only wish I owned all of this. A girl can dream.

* * *

><p>It had been a long day. Castle and Beckett had solved a case, had drinks, and now, finally, Beckett was home. Castle had insisted on walking her up, claiming that "there were crazy people out at this hour". She'd asked him to stay for a drink, not really ready to be alone, but he'd gotten a call from Alexis and hurried off.<p>

After pouring a glass of wine, a surprise knock on the door had jarred Beckett from her thoughts. She smiled to herself, assuming that Castle had changed his mind about staying, and hurried for the door.

She was greeted by Josh, her boyfriend that she always seemed to be forgetting about.

"Josh!" She said, trying not to sound too shocked at seeing him.

He smiled and rested a hand on the door frame. "Are you going to let me in?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

It wasn't who she'd expected, but Beckett couldn't help being thankful for a bit of company. "Of course," She stepped aside, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I actually needed to ask you something anyway."

"Shoot," The doctor said, facing her.

Kate stood beside him and turned to face him. She pushed away the thought that she had sat like this, looking at Rick, so many times before.

"Well, Detective Ryan… you know him, he's finally set a date for his wedding, and I was going to ask you to be my plus one. It's just two weeks from now. Soon, I know, but Jenny couldn't figure out an exact time that would work for her family until now. So….?" Beckett smiled slightly, awaiting his answer.

Josh sighed deeply and shook his head. "Kate," He said, trying to find eye contact with his girlfriend. "You know that I'm on-call all the time. There's no way I can sacrifice an entire day away from the hospital."

"One day, Josh. I am asking you for _one_ day!" She answered quickly. She wasn't in the mood to argue, but she was even less in the mood to be blown off for this wedding.

"Baby, you know I would be there if I could. With my job, I just don't control this kind of thing."

Beckett ran a hand through her hair and sighed in exasperation. "I just want one day." She said again; her voice was soft now, almost begging. "I don't want to go to this wedding alone. I don't want to be that awkward person without a date in all of the pictures. Is that selfish of me? Maybe, but it's true."

"Kate, I'll be saving lives. Are you telling me that going to a wedding is more important than that?" Josh spoke confidently, using his regular excuse.

With a long sigh, the detective nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right. Besides, Castle's been whining about not having a date for weeks. I can just go with him."

At this, Josh narrowed his eyes. "You're going to go with the writer?" He asked, as if the very idea was ridiculous.

"I'll go with _Rick, _yes." Kate said sharply, daring Josh to question her further.

He took her silent dare. "You don't think that's a little… inappropriate?"

"How so?" Beckett said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"You have a boyfriend, Kate." He deadpanned.

"I'm aware," Beckett was quickly growing angry. Her voice was filled with dark sarcasm. "And he won't even sacrifice one day to come to a good friend's wedding with me." Her words dripped with venom.

"Kate…" His voice rose and he took a step towards her.

"Don't make this a big deal, Josh. It doesn't mean anything. Castle and I are friends. We can go to this wedding as friends." She didn't waver, and stood directly in front of her boyfriend.

Josh seemed to lose a bit of his confidence. "I… I don't think I'm comfortable with that."

Kate turned around to head across the room and fall into a seat on the couch. "If you can't come with me, I'm going with Castle." Her mind was completely made up now. Josh's arguments wouldn't affect her.

"How about this?" He started, walking to stand in front of the couch. "You choose. Castle or me?"

"What are you talking about?" Beckett reached for the TV remote, but Josh stepped in front of the screen.

"Who would you choose?"

"What does that mean? Choose for what?" Kate placed her full attention on the doctor.

"Just choose…" His voice was low, and almost threatening.

His eyes taunted Beckett and in that moment, her choice was unbelievably easy. "Castle," She blurted, before she could control her words.

Josh's expression fell. Kate realized what she'd done and tried to backtrack.

"Josh, I didn't mean… I just, we're partners. I was angry and…"

"No, Kate." The man's voice was soft. He took a seat beside her and looked down at his lap. "We both know it's always been Castle."

Beckett couldn't find any words as Josh kissed her forehead, stood, and headed out the door. Without actually saying it out loud, she knew that their relationship was over. It had been heading that way for a while now.

As she settled further into the couch, Josh's words rang clearly in her mind.

_It's always been Castle._

_Always._

Kate drew a breath and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Maybe she could talk Castle into coming over, just for a drink, for some company.

She hesitated as she scrolled through her contacts. Of course, not, she thought as she set the phone down beside her, Castle's contact name still highlighted.

Calling him over was wildly inappropriate, especially when she'd just ended her relationship with Josh. Besides, she knew that if her partner came over when she was emotionally vulnerable and slightly intoxicated, a number of bad things could happen.

But would they really be bad things at all?

Kate shook the idea again from her head and went into her bathroom to run a hot bath. She grabbed one of her favorite books, which just happened to be penned by Richard Castle, and waited for the tub to fill up.

A thought occurred to her as she went back to the living room to grab her wine glass. Maybe she should just text Castle. Just in case…

Reaching for her phone, she shot a quick text to the writer.

**K: Still looking for a date to the wedding?**

She carried the phone with her into the bathroom and set in on the side table as she undressed and slid into the tub. Her phone vibrated only seconds later, and she reached for it, careful to hold it above the water.

**R: Mother's been jumping at the idea, but yes. Definitely still looking.**

Kate smiled at the thought of Martha at a wedding. Her dramatic personality would be at its very best. The one thought that refused to leave her mind was that Castle was incapable of finding a date. He really was the most eligible of bachelors. Girls were literally jumping at him, and yet, Castle couldn't find a date. The idea had all kinds of holes in it, but Beckett ignored this as she typed a reply text.

**K: Looks like I need a date now too.**

The next reply from Rick came at an almost unbelievable speed.

**R: Something happened with Josh?**

Kate wasn't sure how much she would tell Rick, but before she knew it, she was pouring everything into the text.

**K: We broke up. He couldn't give up one day to come with me to the wedding. It wasn't worth it. Never was.**

**R: I'm sorry. Want me to come over? I'll bring comfort food. :)**

Castle's reply made Beckett smile to herself. Castle could be unbearably sweet, and despite how bad the idea might be, she really did love the idea of Castle and comfort food.

**K: You don't have anything else to do?**

She wanted his company, but she didn't want to sound too needy. That wasn't her.

**R: Nothing that's more important. I'll be there in 20 minutes.**

At his quick answer, Kate came to the realization that she was lounging in the tub, her hair a mess, and Rick Castle would be standing at her door in only 20 minutes. She rushed out of the tub and into her bedroom to try to make herself look presentable.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Bam, said the lady! I'm so excited about this story. I won't be updating as often as I did on After the Storm. I'll probably have a new chapter up weekly. But never fear, fewer updates does mean that the chapters will be longer. Please do let me know if you like this so far though. I adore your opinions.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate rushed into the bathroom after throwing on a pair of gray sweatpants and a dark fitted t-shirt. It was late, nearly 11:45, and there really was no reason to dress up, but at the sight of her splotchy face, Beckett forgot completely about being reasonable.

She quickly added a few soft curls to her hair, dabbed a bit of lipstick on her lips (wouldn't Lanie approve?), and wiped away at the few tear stains on her cheeks.

Regardless of whether she'd seen it coming or not, breakups did suck and she did hurt. Josh had left on good terms, but still he had left, and that always, no matter how much it needed to happen, was painful.

When she glanced down at her watch, the detective realized that Rick would be here, if his timing was right, in only 5 minutes. She took one last look at her appearance and walked confidently into the living room.

No matter how run-down she felt, she could at least act as though she thought she looked good.

For some reason, Kate found that she wanted to look good for Castle. She had always felt that way, from the time that she had first met him and they had been nothing more than disgruntled acquaintances.

Rick Castle was just the sort of man that you wanted to impress.

As if on a cue, Beckett heard a quiet knock on the door. She swung it open to reveal Castle, bottle of wine and filled shopping bag of food in hand. Kate had already had a glass of wine, but more alcohol sounded very soothing on a night like this.

Castle wore a soft smile on his face, as if he was afraid to look too happy about being at Kate's apartment on these terms.

Beckett returned his expression and stepped aside to let the writer in. "Thanks for coming over so late, Castle. You really didn't have to." Her voice was low, and she spoke in an almost ashamed tone.

"It's no trouble at all." He smiled more openly as he walked into the small kitchen and held up the wine bottle. "Shall we?" He asked, pulling two wine glasses from the cabinet.

Beckett ignored the fact that he somehow made himself so naturally at home and nodded.

"Do you… want to talk about it?" Castle asked hesitantly, handing Kate one of the glasses and taking a seat next to the one she'd taken on the couch.

"There's really nothing to talk about." She replied, taking a long drink. In an instant, she had downed her entire glass. The thought of Josh made her want to drink. He was wasted time, and she wanted to drink away wasted time.

"You sure about that?" Castle raised an eyebrow at her hurried consumption of the drink.

Kate blushed slightly under his scrutiny. "Shut up," She mumbled as she poured herself another glass. "There's really nothing to talk about. It was a breakup. I'm sure you know how those go. Or has the great Richard Castle never been broken up with?" She asked, again finishing her drink with record speed. Castle's expression noticably fell and Kate felt instantly guilty. "Can we just talk about something else?"

"Sure… Yeah." Castle said as he averted his eyes from the third drink that Beckett was now pouring. "I brought chocolate!" He said lightly, holding up the bag that he'd set on the table. He spilled the contents in front of them, and revealed various types of chocolate bars, a bag of gummy worms, a bag of potato chips, and an apple.

Beckett shot him a questioning look.

"I didn't know what you were in the mood for." He answered with a shrug.

His thoughtfulness struck the detective as she was once again reminded at just how sweet he could be. "Castle, you didn't have to do all this, you know." A glance at her watch reminded her of how late it was and the guilt exploded even more within her.

"Kate," His voice was soft as he set his wine glass down and folded his hands in his lap. "We're partners, right? Partners, friends… This is what friends do for each other. Now, I brought entertainment!"

Immediately Castle shifted the mood with a bright smile. He reached into the bottom of the shopping bag and pulled out a thick DVD. With a closer look Kate saw that he was holding season six of The X-Files.

"Season six instead of one?" She asked, taking the DVD out of his hand to look it over.

"I snuck into Alexis' room just to get this, I'll have you know. It was dark and I just took what I could reach! Besides, her room is freaky at night. I'm serious!" His tone was playfully defensive as he snatched the DVD back and hopped off the couch to pop it into the DVD player.

"By the way, the first disk is missing, so again, we'll just watch random episodes." Castle sat back on the couch. This time he was considerably closer to Kate, but she didn't say a word. His warmth was calming, and as the show played, she had a hard time paying attention to anything else.

As the scenes passed on the screen, Beckett continued to drink. She scarcely slowed down as she went through glass after glass. Castle tried to ignore it, but he found himself watching Kate more than the television.

After an entire episode of silence, Castle finally spoke. "Were you serious about needing a date to the wedding?" He spoke quickly, as if he'd been contemplating the question for some time.

Beckett shifted to better look at the writer. "Maybe," She said, taking another drink from her glass of wine. She had lost count of her drinks by now and was feeling loopy. In truth, she wasn't feeling much of anything. Instead of letting herself feel any guilt for drinking, she had tried to keep in mind that she'd just been through a breakup. That deserved a couple of drinks. And then, maybe, a couple more.

Dramatically, breaking her thoughts, Rick pulled himself off of the couch and knelt on one knee in front of Beckett.

"Katherine Beckett," he said; his face stoic. "Will you do me the great pleasure of being my date to Kevin Ryan's wedding?"

Beckett couldn't help but giggle at his serious expression. "Date?" She asked, her eyebrow rising.

Castle sighed. "Plus one?" He tried with a small smile.

"Date," Beckett nodded with a smile and a small shrug. "Sure, Rick." She said his name with force, clicking her tongue for emphasis. The alcohol was causing her head to go fuzzy but she took another drink.

Castle grinned and sat back on the couch. "Maybe we should cut you off," He said, glancing over to see Kate beginning to pour yet another glass. He reached to take the bottle out of her hand.

"Castle…" She whined, leaning into his chest and reaching out for the bottle that he was holding out of her reach.

Kate wriggled until she was lying fully across him, her hand outstretched towards the bottle. Her usual reserved manner towards him was gone as alcohol pulsed through her system. A sly smile crossed her lips and she brought her face closer to Castle's.

"Can't we make some sort of a trade for that bottle?" She asked, shifting on top of him. Her voice was low and seductive as she leaned towards him.

Castle found himself fighting every immoral thought he had as he gently grasped Beckett's waist and easily placed her light body back on the seat beside him.

"Definitely cutting you off," He said as she leaned against his shoulder and shut her eyes. She was obviously tired of fighting for another drink.

"Thank you, Castle," She slurred against his arm.

"For?" He said, looking down at the detective.

"For being here, you know." She said, snuggling closer to her partner.

"Yeah, well, when you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll probably kill me for letting you drink so much, but I appreciate your thanks now. Even though I have said… you really don't need to thank me for anything."

"No, no, no…" Beckett reached to place a finger over Rick's lips. "No, I do need to thank you. You didn't even like Josh. You… you're glad that we broke up."

Castle mentally tried to remember when Kate had gotten so drunk, but he pushed the thought away and focused on the conversation at hand. "That… is not true!" He said defiantly. "Josh was… fine."

"But you are glad that we broke up?" Beckett said, leaning up to catch Castle's eye contact.

"I didn't say that," He leaned against the couch, a guilty look plastered on his face.

Instead of pressing further, Beckett leaned back against Rick and closed her eyes. "You're a good friend, Castle," She muttered.

"Don't I know it," Castle chuckled, and shifted slightly, remembering the feel of Kate on top of him, and how hard it had been to pass up the opportunity that he'd been wishing to have for years.

They were more than just a quick fling; Castle knew that now. In the quiet, Castle realized that the TV was still on. A random episode of The X-Files played.

Scully's voice rang clearly from the speakers.

_"It seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like, a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is… suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with."_

He sat, lost in thoughts, for several minutes before glancing at the clock on the wall. It was late. Beckett was asleep beside him, but he knew that the next morning at the precinct would be rough for both of them, especially if Castle didn't get home to get some sleep.

He tried to slide away from Kate, grabbing a nearby throw pillow to support her head where his shoulder was absent. He was careful to be quiet, but her eyes cracked open at the movement as he slid away from her.

The sleep had sobered her, but only a bit. She still she reached for Castle in an uncharacteristic way as he stood up. "You're leaving?" She said, with a tight hold on his arm.

"It's late," Castle nodded, standing up and pulling away from her grip. "Get some sleep, Kate." He said softly as he turned for the door.

"Castle," Beckett said, sitting up fully. "Stay." Her eyes flicked to the bedroom in a silent invitation for more.

With one simple word, the writer stopped in his tracks. He turned around to take in all of Kate's beautiful, expectant face. She would probably shoot him tomorrow, but for now, he wanted to remember the scene perfectly. He gazed at her for a moment before speaking.

"I can't…" He said, betraying what he truly wanted. "Kate, this isn't what you want."

"It is," She answered quickly. "Yes, I want you, Castle. It is what I want."

The breath left Rick in a swooping gasp as Beckett spoke. "No…" He shook his head and took a step towards the door, still facing the detective. "You've definitely had too much to drink. It's been a long night, okay? We both need some sleep."

"You're a good friend…" was all that Kate quietly said as she laid her head on the pillow and shut her eyes.

Castle remained in the room, looking at her, for a moment. He seriously considered finding a way to get her to sleep in her bed but decided that because intoxicated Kate seemed to really want some of him, going anywhere near a bed probably wasn't the brightest idea. His resolve could only hold out for so long.

He opened the door and left to go home. On his way he pondered how awkward the precinct would most likely be in the morning. He considered not going in to shadow Beckett, but ultimately figured that would just prove more awkward. They would do what they always did. They would banter and talk like usual, and skip over all of the serious, emotional stuff.

It wasn't something that had to be handled now. She was, after all, his wedding date now. They couldn't screw things up too badly before then.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Bam, said the lady! So, there we have it. Just so everyone is aware, expect a time jump in this story. It won't actually be 2 weeks until we see wedding scenes. :) And who loved that X-Files quote? It's SO Castle and Beckett, right? I just had to include it, even if it was quite random. As always, please let me know what you think of this with a comment!

Also, I would REALLY appreciate it if you could all follow these links and vote for my stories. I'm nominated for 2 Awards and it would mean the world to win.

Just go to and click Vote Now. From there go to the Fan Fiction topic. Click "Awards Topic" and vote for "Damsel in Distress". Also, click "Long Story" and vote for "After the Storm".

A million thanks. You can also read both of those stories on my page if you're interested. The next update for this will be up soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **I know that this is a short-ish one, but it's a setup for the wedding. YAY! I'm so excited to write wedding scenes. What do you all want to see from the wedding? If you have any scenes that you would desperately like to see play out, let me know and I'll definitely consider writing them!

* * *

><p>For what was nearly the first time ever, Kate Beckett arrived late to work. She had woken up stiff, on the couch, with a pounding headache and a telling empty wine bottle beside her.<p>

With only foggy memories of the night before, she had ignored the headache and tried to hide her obvious hangover. She would never hear the end of it from Ryan and Esposito if they realized how she'd spent her night.

From her memories, she could distinctly remember texting Castle and basically inviting him over. That had been a bad decision in itself; anything could have happened with her drunk in Castle's presence.

But try as she might, she couldn't recollect doing anything at all with the writer. It seemed he had been the perfect gentleman. Drinking always made her slightly… touchy… and if Rick had been able to ignore that, then she certainly owed him a mass of gratitude.

She knew that she really shouldn't be surprised though. Castle was always catching her off guard in that way, showing her that he was a much sweeter man than she had pegged him for. It was always a pleasant surprise.

She had ultimately decided that this was a hangover that she would have to claim; no amount of makeup could cover how tired and rundown she looked, and she was too lazy to do anything but add a few curls to her hair.

The bright light of morning brought more thudding pain to her eyes and she slipped sunglasses on, willing them to hide them from the world, and more importantly from Ryan and Esposito.

Ryan had been in and out of the precinct lately as he helped prepare for the wedding, so he was easy to avoid. Esposito, on the other hand, Kate had to sneak around and burrow her face in paperwork at her desk in hopes that he wouldn't mention her appearance.

Luckily he was busy as well. He nodded at her as she sat down but made no further comments and looked back at the mass of papers in front of him.

As she returned Esposito's nod in welcome, Kate turned to her partner who had already taken up his normal residence at his seat beside her desk. He gave her a knowing grin as she removed her sunglasses to glare at him.

"I will shoot you, Castle. Mark my words." All appreciation she had for him had disappeared as her stomach had rolled, reminding her of the amount of alcohol that she had consumed in his presence.

"I will have you know, Detective, that I tried to cut you off several times. You were very persuasive… and, passionate about your drinking." Castle looked her body over fully and smirked.

Beckett's eyes widened in horror at his words. "We didn't…" She asked, realization of what could have happened dawning on her.

Rick laughed out loud. "You," he raised a finger to point at her. "Are an easy mark!"

Beckett shook her head and raised her hands to rest her head in them. "Not funny, Castle." She groaned as she massaged her temple. "What happened last night? More importantly, why the hell did you let me drink so much?"

"I was telling the truth about trying to cut you off. I think you deserved that though. Although, next time maybe save it for a night when you don't have work the next day? And last night, we watched TV. That's all. Truly." His joking tone took a turn for the serious with the last word.

Again, Beckett felt gratitude for the man. Childish as he could be, he could also be the most sincere person that she knew. "Thank you…" She muttered, shaking her head, wishing to dull the headache that was thudding with her every move.

Castle reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of Advil. He handed it to her and smiled. "You thanked me for nothing far too many times last night. I assure you, it wasn't a problem. Partner stuff, right?"

Kate popped two pills into her mouth and swallowed them with a drink of the coffee that had been waiting on her desk. A gracious smile crossed her face as she nodded in agreement. "Partner stuff, yeah."

And just like that, the conversation was over. Nothing was awkward. Castle was always good at that; smoothing over uncomfortable times seemed to be another of his many talents. He could charm his way out of any situation that many would deem far too awkward to be a part of.

The day passed as any other would. An hour after taking the Advil and getting some paperwork done, Beckett had received an update about a murder.

Castle and Beckett had worked through the suspects, supplied their own regular playful banter, and solved the case in several days.

And after that, another case rolled by. The days passed as they always did and before Kate truly realized it, there were only 3 days left to prepare for Ryan's wedding.

Castle hadn't mentioned going together since the night Josh had left and Beckett was cautious about bringing it up. Maybe she had dreamed up his unorthodox proposal in her drunken state.

Fortunately she didn't need to bring the topic up. On the morning 3 days before the wedding, Castle strode confidently to his normal seat, faced her, and asked, "So, what color are we wearing to the wedding?"

Beckett nearly choked on her coffee out of surprise from his forward question. Apparently they _were_ going together. The idea wasn't drink-induced after all. She couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. She tried convincing herself that her joy was because she now wouldn't have to face the wedding alone, and not simply because of the fact that her date was Richard Castle.

"Sorry? What color?" She asked, regaining her cool and raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on. We have to coordinate!"

At Beckett's still scoffing look his eyes dimmed. "Why would we coordinate? It's not like this is _our_ wedding…"

Before she realized what she'd said, the words were out. Castle smirked and raised an eyebrow. Beckett tried to hide the blush that was spreading across our cheeks.

Rather than commenting further on her words, Castle built on his previous question. "I thought that I could wear a coordinating tie. Nothing too creepy, see?"

"That wouldn't be weird?" Beckett asked, considering his words.

"I don't think so?" Castle was beginning to doubt himself slightly.

Kate pondered his words again. "I'm wearing green." She said finally with a sigh.

"Green it is," Castle grinned; all doubts had disappeared with Beckett's answer.

"So, at the very least, we'll look nice." Beckett said, unable to hold back a returned smile. Castle's happiness was more often than not, extremely contagious.

"At the very least?" He asked, clutching his chest. "You're always wounding me, Detective." He said dramatically. "I am going to be the best wedding date of your life." His voice was low now as he leaned closer to her.

"Plus one…" Kate corrected with a taunting smile.

"Oh, no… date." The writer's eyes narrowed as a playful smirk played across his lips. "I'll pick you up at your place at 4:30?" He leaned back and folded his hands across his chest.

"You're driving?" Kate was scoffing now, without even attempting to hide it.

"Let me have this one night!" Rick whined, his eyes wide and pouting.

With a dramatic sigh Beckett looked back at the paperwork on her desk. "Fine. 4:30 then." She said, avoiding eye contact with Castle, who she knew would be wearing a smug look of victory on his face.

"4:30," He repeated. Beckett could practically hear him grinning as she kept her eyes glued to her desk.

* * *

><p>The morning of the wedding seemed to creep up on her. Beckett rose from bed early to get ready. Regardless of her date, she had always been planning on rocking this wedding. The least she could do was look nice.<p>

She curled her hair in her usual long, loose curls and pinned up part of her hair, leaving lower pieces to curl elegantly around her face. She applied slightly smokier eye makeup than usual, taking special care to use waterproof mascara. Much to her embarrassment, she had been known to shed a few tears at weddings before.

Once her makeup and hair were satisfactory, she pulled her dress on gingerly, careful not to mess the look that she'd just worked so hard to create.

Her dress was a light, natural green, the color of the bright leaves of trees. It was a sundress, and cinched at her waist, billowing out slightly around her legs, and coming to a stop just above her knees. It showed just enough to be sexy, yet was modest enough for a fairly formal event. Her eyes shone as the dress complimented them well.

Kate Beckett felt beautiful.

However, when a knock came on her door at exactly 4:27, she felt all confidence drain from her. Castle. As she headed to let him in, she took a deep breath to keep control, and reminded herself that she did, in fact, look hot, and Castle was her partner. They would be fine. The night would go fine.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Bam, said the lady! There we go. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I've never actually been to a wedding. I'm kind of writing blind here so any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As always, please let me know what you think. Thanks, all!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **This wasn't the easiest chapter to write and I hope it flows okay because I decided to switch perspectives at the wedding. Until the actual wedding, I was telling the story mainly through Kate's eyes. During the wedding, you'll see everything more through Castle's eyes. A few people mentioned they'd like to see more from him, so there we go. I truly hope that you all enjoy this.

* * *

><p>When Beckett swung open the door she was greeted by Richard Castle. He was wearing a sleek black sports jacket over a white button up shirt. His light green tie matched her dress even though Beckett had forgotten to specify which color green she was wearing.<p>

Knowing Castle, he had probably consulted Lanie about it. Of course Kate had gotten her approval on the dress. She knew that she was considerably more dressed up than she normally would be for a wedding, but this was Ryan. This wasn't just anyone.

Castle's hair was styled perfectly, lightly mussed yet in place, and Beckett couldn't hold back a smile upon catching sight of the flowers in his hand.

At the sight of her, Castle caught his breath. The detective could feel herself blushing furiously. "Come in?" She mumbled, turning on her heel to lead him in and hide the red that was growing on her cheeks.

"Kate," He started softly. "You look… absolutely stunning." His eyes were glued to hers as he held the bouquet of flowers out to her.

"Thanks, Castle. You look pretty sharp yourself." He nodded in thanks as she pulled out a vase for the flowers. She wasn't lying. He looked brilliant. The man could dress up better than anyone that she'd ever seen. Flowers in hand, Kate took a moment to bring them to her nose.

"Castle, the flowers… You didn't have to…"

"Say no more," he raised a hand into the air and waved nonchalantly. "I told you that I would be the best wedding date you've ever seen, and I intend to keep that promise."

"Yeah, yeah," Kate mumbled, putting the flowers in a vase that she'd filled with water and refusing to give him the pleasure of knowing that he had already exceeded her expectations of what a wedding date should be like.

"You doubt me?" He asked, looking wounded as he held a hand to his chest.

"Never, Castle." Beckett said, shaking her head.

"So, the ceremony is first off." Castle said, after a glance at the time. "We should really get going to get a good seat! We'll have all reception to shamelessly flirt… and dance." Castle winked and again Beckett was fighting the blush that threatened to spread across her cheeks.

"Let's go." She led the way out the door as she dramatically rolled her eyes at her partner's antics.

They bickered about driving, but eventually Beckett folded and Castle took the wheel with a smirk.

As the car started moving Kate realized that her palms were sweating. She was usually quite cool around dates, if that's what Castle would be considered, but she was finding herself unusually apprehensive.

"Nervous?" Castle asked, noticing how Beckett was wringing her hands. He always could pick up on however she was feeling.

"Not nervous really… just… I don't know," Beckett answered honestly with a slight shrug.

"Kate," Rick turned momentarily away from the road to meet her eyes. "This doesn't need to be a big deal." His statement was so simple, yet so loaded with meaning. It didn't _need _to be a big deal, yet the option was there. The possibility of something more was there.

"I know," She answered with a smile. "And thank you, for, uh, for not making anything awkward. I know how this must be. Being my _back-up_ date," She grinned at the last sentence, bringing a comical tone back to the conversation.

"Oh," Castle hissed as if in pain but smiled in return. "I'll take it." He said, again glancing towards the detective.

Before Kate knew it Rick was parking the car and hurrying over to open her door. "I thought chivalry was dead." She said as she stood impressed by how much of a gentleman he was constantly proving himself to be.

"Ha. Ha." Castle said dryly, shutting the car door and holding out an arm for Beckett.

"You're kidding?" She said, more in awe than anything else.

"A date's a date, Detective." He grinned wickedly as she held back a smile and wrapped her arm around his.

* * *

><p>When they stepped into the small sanctuary Castle and Beckett were greeted quickly by Lanie, who looked as if she'd been waiting just for them.<p>

The medical examiner stepped back to fully admire the coordinating outfits and didn't attempt to hide her grin. "You two look amazing!" She said, looking them both up and down. She paused at their still-hooked arms and her grin grew wider.

"Where's Esposito?" Castle said, looking around the room. Nearly everyone, mostly family members and a few familiar detectives, had already taken seats. He took in his surroundings quickly, as the church was small and very traditional.

"He's best man, Castle. He's off doing best man stuff." Kate answered absentmindedly as she scanned the pews for a seat. Seeing one she pulled the writer along with her and headed for it. Lanie smiled at Castle's surprise that Kate hadn't dropped his arm and followed the two towards the empty pew.

Lanie slid in, followed by Kate, and Rick lastly took the end seat beside her. After being seated for only a few minutes, classic music began to play.

Ryan and Jenny had decided on a very traditional wedding, with only a slight Irish twist. Of course, there _had _to be an Irish twist. An opened door on the side of the church swept Castle's thoughts away.

Ryan and Esposito entered the church from the door. Instead of formally walking in side by side, or in front of one another, they chose to link arms the way that Jenny and her father would do.

Quiet laughter rang throughout the church as they walked happily into the church, wearing the goofiest of grins. Castle emitted a chuckle himself when Esposito led Ryan to his place to stand, brushed off the front of his suit, clapped his face twice softly, and went back to his own spot.

The two men before him had become great friends and seeing their happiness, made him happy as well. Kevin Ryan deserved this. He deserved a beautiful wife, good friends… a happy ending.

With a glance towards Lanie, Castle remembered that Esposito deserved the same things, and based on the amount of pure love that could be seen in Lanie's eyes, he was quickly on the way to getting them.

The music suddenly slipped smoothly into a new song and everyone turned to the back doors of the church.

Jenny, arm linked tightly to her father's, stepped into the church. She was wearing a full-length white dress, with elegant ruffles cascading towards the floor. A cluster of white flowers pinned her curled hair back on one side.

Castle realized the flowers as an Irish tradition. He really had researched a lot of obscure things for his writing…

Tradition or not, she looked flawless. Her eyes crinkled into a smile when she looked across the isle and caught Ryan's eye.

His intake of breath at her appearance was clear and a small smile met his lips as she walked slowly towards him.

Castle took a quick look at Beckett and smiled at her expression. Her eyes were rapidly flicking between Ryan and Jenny, until finally Jenny found her place in front of Ryan and closed the distance between them.

As the preacher read off the traditional vows, Castle decided to take the risk and sneak another peek at Beckett. She was smiling at the couple and already wiping away a tear.

And the woman claimed she had never cut out a wedding dress from a magazine…

Castle shook his head subtly to himself, but found her emotion infectious and smiled as he admired the way she looked with tears of happiness glimmering in her eyes.

Rather than merely watching Ryan and Jenny recite their vows, Castle found that he couldn't help looking over at Kate regularly as well. She was so wrapped up in the wedding that she didn't seem to notice.

When the newly married couple kissed, Beckett and Castle, along with every member of the small sanctuary, stood and clapped. The reception followed directly in a small ballroom that had been rented across the street.

Castle stood to lead the way out of the church when Beckett grabbed his arm and pulled him close. "I saw you watching me." She muttered, a tone of warning present in her voice. "Let's go to the reception," She said, tugging on his tie gently before stepping around him.

Leaving him stunned, she walked away quickly, hiding a smile as she went.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Next chapter we have dancing, drinks, cake, and bouquets. Should be fun! If there's anything you'd really like to see, let me know and I'll see how I can work it in. Thanks to everyone who gave me information about how the wedding should be. I realize that it was slightly vague and that was because I'm still a little fuzzy on exactly how they go down. I hope it was alright. Please leave me a comment on what you think!Ha


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **I don't know that people dance this way at weddings, BUT THEY DO IN MY WORLD. I really loved writing this chapter. Mainly because I wrote it in Chicago… which is where I am right now. Exciting, right? We're currently on family vacation! Can you see all my dedication? XD Anyway, let me know what you think about this! Your reviews truly inspire me.

* * *

><p>The reception hall was different in many ways from the small, traditional church they had previously been in. In the church, everyone had been packed tightly into small pews. The ballroom that had been rented for the reception was just the opposite. Whatever money had been saved on being married in a tiny church was all spent here. Every detail was precise, every decoration perfect.<p>

A large, currently empty dance floor filled the majority of the space. On one wall a long table of finger foods sat, with a punch bowl sitting on the end of the table. On the opposite wall, a separate table was being used to serve alcohol. A hired bartender was serving beer, wine, and champagne. He was wearing a top-notch suit, which Kate could see Castle admiring. She shook her head as he realized she was watching him and walked on to find a table to sit at.

Circular tables were scattered throughout the room, lining the dance floor. Beckett led the way to a far table and took a seat. Castle sat beside her, and Lanie beside him.

As groups of people continued to file into the room Kate, Rick, and Lanie talked about the wedding, work, and Castle told several elaborate stories involving Martha and Alexis.

They were all laughing at a particularly entertaining story about Martha when Esposito swept into the seat beside Lanie. He sighed dramatically as he leaned against the seat.

"Jenny's sisters are like vultures," he said. Lanie shot him a sharp look and he quickly clarified. "They've made the wedding party take so many pictures!" He said, throwing the medical examiner a slight reassuring smile.

"Where's Detective Ryan? We're all ready to see his shining, married face," Castle looked to Esposito for an answer.

"He's stuck out taking pictures too. I tell you, bro, I don't know how you could do this twice. This just seems like a lot of work." Esposito shook his head, still taking all of his surroundings in.

"I don't recommend it. If I ever get married again, it'll be for good." His eyes shifted involuntarily towards Beckett. He looked away quickly as he realized what he'd done.

Lanie looked pointedly straight at Kate, who was trying to avoid Castle's eyes. She played off her blush by standing quickly and looking at her friends. "Drinks, anyone?" She asked, looking at the separate tables.

"Oh, no, let me." Castle was on his feet before Beckett could protest. "You sit," he said, pointing a finger at Kate's chair.

She smiled and realized that arguing was futile. "What would everyone like?" Castle said, smiling and striking his best waiter pose.

"Wine for me," Beckett smiled and admired the way that Castle wore his suit as Lanie and Esposito ordered. His blue eyes found hers in an instant and she looked away, trying not to blush. She definitely needed to work on the staring. She was getting as bad as he was during her paperwork.

Jenny and Ryan suddenly entered the room. A chorus of clapping erupted as Lanie first danced with her father, and then Ryan. Kate watched them with a smile. She glanced across the room and caught Castle's eye. He was standing by the drink table, but instead of having his gaze fixed on the new couple, it was fixed on her.

She looked back to the dance floor in quick embarrassment. When Castle arrived back at the table with her drink, he shot her a small smile, but didn't comment on the fact that she'd caught him watching her.

After Jenny had danced with her father, and with her new husband, the floor opened to the public. Esposito pulled a laughing Lanie onto the floor before she could protest.

Castle eyed Beckett with a playful smirk playing on his mouth but she looked away and took another sip of her wine. They watched couples dance across the floor to a fast hip-hop song and Beckett rolled her eyes at the way Lanie was currently grinding on Esposito. She should really take pictures. This could be great blackmail later.

Before she had time to pull her phone out of the small handbag that she'd carried along, the music changed to a slow, sweet song. Several couples hurried off the floor, as others drew close and swayed in time to the music.

Ryan and Jenny held each other tightly in the middle of the dance floor while Lanie laid her head to rest on Esposito's chest as they moved in time to the music. Kate took the risk to glance up at Rick and found him looking longingly towards the dance floor at the couples.

Despite trying to ignore the guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach, Beckett found that she couldn't deny him the dance. He was her date, after all, and so far, she was being a pretty terrible plus one by avoiding his obvious implications towards dancing.

"Castle," she stood with a small smile and reached out to the man. "Care to dance?"

He grinned in response and stood, gripping her hand and pulling ahead to lead her onto the dance floor. When they reached an empty spot on the floor, Castle suddenly placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer, so that she was pressed to his chest.

"Hey, Castle," she muttered, ignoring all of her own inhibitions and resting her head lightly on his shoulder.

"Hey, Kate," he mumbled into her hair.

Beckett could have sworn that she heard him took a quick sniff at her hair, but no, of course not… that would be creepy, even for Castle.

"Cherries…" He observed quietly, proving her wrong. He _had _smelled her.

"That's creepy," she said, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to dawn on her face.

"Sorry," he said, taking the liberty to spin her out away from him only to pull her even closer on her return.

She chose not to answer his apology. She wasn't mad, couldn't be mad, especially when he'd gone to all the trouble to be such a lovely date. Again guilt threatened to overtake the detective.

"Listen, Castle," she looked up and was momentarily stunned at just how close her partner's blue eyes were to her own. "I just… I want to thank you. For this. All of this. Just… everything you do." She struggled to find the right words to thank him, for everything. He was the writer here, and she desperately hoped that he could catch all of the subtext that her words carried.

"I know, Kate," he said, excusing her from further explanation and pulling her still closer to his chest and enveloping her with his arms.

Instead of pushing away, physically or emotionally, Beckett let him in. She rested her head on him and swayed to the music, a small smile lightly gracing her features.

They moved together, unaware of anyone else on the dance floor. The low lights played on Kate's face as Castle admired her. She closed her eyes and sighed as he wrapped his arm still tighter around her.

The music changed all too soon. Before either of them were ready for it, another fast, dance song was playing. "I'll kill Esposito for helping Ryan with the music," Beckett grumbled before she could stop herself.

Castle laughed as he stepped away from the woman. Her warmth left him longing for more closeness but the pace had changed; the moment had ended.

Unexpectedly she pulled him back towards her. A shifting look told her that Lanie was once again dancing provocatively on Esposito and Kate, for whatever reason, saw it as a bit of a challenge.

"We can still dance," she said, moving in rhythm to meet Rick. She wiggled and moved to the music in every way that she knew she could drive the writer crazy, but he kept up.

Soon they were dancing together, pressed so tightly that even Kate was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. The worst, or perhaps best part, was that she hadn't had much to drink. This was not induced by alcohol, and she could _feel _every move of the man in front of her.

The detective knew that Castle had to be feeling this more than she was. She was pressed against him… grinding wasn't the word she wanted to use, but that's what she was doing, and there was no breathing room for Castle. But if he was having any problems, he was hiding them well. He danced with her in a way that was more graceful than Kate had imagined he could be.

Before long they were both panting and sweat was beading on their foreheads. "Drinks?" Castle asked as they made their way off the floor. Beckett nodded, wiping away at her face and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

They split up as Beckett went back to sit down at the table with Lanie and Esposito, who had finally needed a break as well.

Lanie gave her a knowing look as she sat down with a huff. "Having fun?" The medical examiner asked, raising an eyebrow. Esposito merely grinned beside her.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Kate quickly retorted.

"Not as much _fun_ as you two," Lanie answered, breaking out into a grin as well.

Beckett rolled her eyes and was luckily prevented from further conversation by Castle's return with her drink.

"Think they're ever going to get tired?" Castle asked, gesturing towards Ryan and Jenny who were still on the dance floor and showing no signs or stopping.

"It's an after-marriage high. They'll have it for a while," Castle said knowingly. For a moment Beckett could see that he was caught up in memories. She looked away, feeling as though she was interrupting something.

"Did you think that you'd be with them forever?" Kate asked quietly. Curiosity had overtaken her.

Without clarification Castle knew just what she was talking about. His elephant in the room; two previous marriages. "I had hoped I would," he said, still watching Ryan and Jenny. With a sigh he continued. "But I think I always knew… Neither of them were my 'one and done', as you would say," he smiled lightly but his eyes remained on Kate, a serious expression shining in them.

Beckett took a long drink and looked back towards the dance floor. Ryan and Jenny looked as though they'd never been happier. "Let's go dance," she said, smiling at her date.

As they moved closely again, Kate began to understand the smile that was fixed on Jenny's face.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Bam, said the lady! There will be one more chapter of reception. Have no fear! I'm having way too much fun writing this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd love to hear any and all feedback!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **So, this one is kind of, sort of all over the place. It's short and not much happens but I'm planning on a good conversation next chapter. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this, if I'm being honest, but it sure is fun to write. Enjoy!

And thank you to all who informed me of the wrong name in the last chapter. JENNY danced with her father and new husband, not Lanie. Whoops!

* * *

><p>After several more upbeat songs, the pace finally changed again. As they had before, many people scurried off the floor, and couples paired up to enjoy a slow dance.<p>

Kate took several steps away from Rick. Their bodies had been pressed together in the most intimate way, but during a fast song, it wasn't so obvious.

Instead of exiting the floor, he pulled her back in and wrapped an arm around her waist as if to slowly dance with her again.

For an instant Beckett jerked away. It was natural, what she would do if he ever got too close at the precinct, a habit, but it was enough for Castle to notice and remove his hold on her.

When Beckett met his gaze she could see the hurt in his eyes. She wanted desperately to tell him that it had been nothing. Merely an instinct and nothing more, but she didn't find the words before he'd left the floor, muttering something about needing a drink. She was only able to shake her head, which only gave him even more of a bad idea.

Beckett sighed and headed off to the empty table they'd been sitting at. Lanie and Esposito remained wrapped up in only each other on the floor. Jenny and Ryan hadn't moved from their spot.

Across the hall the detective could see Castle, head low as he ordered drinks. Instead of waiting for him to return and explaining herself, Beckett was overcome with a strange nervous fear and before she realized it, she was up and walking quickly towards the restroom.

She only needed a moment, just a moment to compose herself, fix her hair, get her breath… only a moment, but she didn't even get that. As soon as she'd turned to face the mirror, Ryan's new bride entered the bathroom.

"Detective Beckett," she smiled brightly.

"Call me Kate," Beckett answered, forcing a smile onto her face as well.

The faked emotion didn't go far though. Jenny caught it immediately. "Kate… Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice still light despite the concern in her eyes.

Kate ran a hand through her hair. "No, no. I'm fine. This has all been really beautiful," she smiled again at Jenny, trying her best to be convincing. This was Jenny's wedding. It was her big day and here she was, being overly dramatic and giving a newly married woman something unimportant to worry about.

Just as she was about to shrug off Jenny's worries and insist that she was fine, the woman spoke again. "It's Rick Castle, isn't it?"

Beckett couldn't stop her jaw from dropping momentarily.

Jenny realized her surprise and quickly covered her tracks. "I… I hope you don't get angry especially if I'm way off base. Kevin talks about you two. And from what I hear you might shoot him for saying this, which I hope you won't do because, well, I'm his wife, but he's always talking about the way you two feel about each other."

Beckett was shocked. Speechless. In awe. Obviously Jenny realized that she was speaking the truth because she carried on.

"From what I've seen tonight, I see why Kev thinks that. You two have this way about you. Everyone sees it. Like, you're connected. He seems as though he'd do anything in the world for you, Kate."

"Kev," Beckett smiled at the name. The realization that this conversation was going on with Ryan's wife was all that she could focus on, or perhaps, all she chose to focus on. There were so many other things to comment on about what Jenny had said, but that was what stuck with her.

Jenny swiped under her eyes and fixed a few stray hairs in the mirror before turning back to face Beckett.

"I'm not trying to overstep any boundaries here. I just thought maybe, since I'm a pretty objective voice, this might help you a little. Also… Kevin _may _have requested this. Apparently he's in some kind of a bet."

In that moment all walls broke and the two women laughed together as friends. "That's really not surprising." Kate let herself smile openly at how passionate the boys could get about their bets.

"It's not a problem, and really, I think you were helpful," she said, being truthful as she met Jenny's eyes.

"Bet or not, Rick Castle cares about you." Jenny said with a small smile. "Now you better hurry and get out of here. I'm about to throw the bouquet." The woman winked as she walked out of the bathroom.

Beckett looked over her appearance in the bathroom, tried to calm down after the unexpected conversation, and then hurried back to the reception.

In the large hall a group of women had already huddled together behind Jenny, who was clutching the bundle of flowers, preparing to toss them into the crowd. Kate wanted to avoid the group and find Castle, but Lanie caught sight of her and pulled her into the group.

The detective realized that she wasn't getting out of this, no matter how badly she wanted to talk to Castle, and she settled into the crowd.

Jenny turned around, grinning the whole time, and Ryan and Esposito, who had found each other near the alcohol, dramatically counted down from five. At one, Jenny tossed the bouquet out into the group of women.

For a terrifying second Kate was sure that she was going to catch it, but Lanie suddenly reached out from beside her and snatched it away. The crowd whooped and on the side, Beckett could see Esposito reddening as Ryan clapped him on the shoulder happily.

Lanie giggled like a small child as she pulled the flowers close to her chest. Kate breathed a sigh of thanks that this attention wasn't on her and left the crowd in search of Rick.

They really needed to talk.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Because we don't know much about Jenny, I took some liberties with her. This could turn out to be very out of character, but as of now, it could be completely in character too! Your feedback is my favorite. Please let me know what you thought!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Warning, there's fluff ahead. And I'm not talking about normal fluff; I'm talking like, sickeningly sweet fluff. Fluff I'm actually a little embarrassed about writing. That much fluff. It's this hiatus. It's slowly turning me into a giant a sap, I swear.

* * *

><p>Once free from the crowd that surrounded Lanie and the bouquet, Beckett set her sights on Castle. After giving the room a quick once over, she spotted him in a far corner. She headed for him immediately, wasting no time. She had something she needed to do.<p>

"Castle, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were brooding," she said upon reaching him, giving him a slight nudge and smiling. She had hoped that the incident on the dance floor was one that could simply be shrugged off. After all, they never seemed to talk about things, maybe they could let this slip by as well, but it seemed that the writer had other ideas.

"I'm pouting actually," he corrected. "There's a big difference," his eyes glinted slightly, but his face remained otherwise stoic. "I think I've earned a little pouting," he shrugged.

Kate drew a long breath as she prepared an explanation for her actions while dancing. To others it might seem like nothing, but she knew that by simply pulling away from him, she had given Rick all kinds of doubts. She also knew that she would feel the same way, should the situation be reversed.

Castle heard her sigh and took it to mean something completely different. Rather than hear what he expected, he quickly decided that he would rather avoid the subject.

"Listen, Kate, I didn't mean the pouting thing. I'm just… I'm being stupid," he looked up to meet her eyes. "You don't owe me an explanation. You don't owe me anything at all. You don't have to dance with me at all if you don't want to. I don't expect anything from you. After all, I'm just your backup date, right?" He smiled slightly, trying to reassure her, but it was clear that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Their eyes locked for a moment and Beckett found herself once again feeling as she had often throughout the day, guilty. This time it was purely for leading him to believe something that was so completely untrue.

"Castle…" she caught herself. "Rick. I like dancing with you," she said simply, holding his gaze.

His eyebrow lifted a bit as he looked at her in what could only be described as doubt.

"I do!" She said, seeing his expression. "I might have to deny it if anyone one else asks, but I might even _really _like dancing with you. Really, really like it."

"You didn't seem like that earlier," he said, his voice reaching a dangerously childish level as he pouted again dramatically.

She reached out to slap his arm lightly.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, leaning away. "Not deserved!"

"What happened to me not owing you anything?" She asked, playfully.

"You hurt my feelings," he said, and gave her the biggest pair of sad puppy eyes she'd ever seen.

"Stop pouting over nothing!" she said, trying to ignore how utterly pathetic he looked when he made that face.

Before guilt crept too far back into Beckett's mind Castle flashed a quick smile to assure her that he was joking. His face evened out again though as he studied her eyes.

"I just… I really do want you to understand that there is no obligation," he said, reiterating his earlier point.

"I _do_ want to dance with you," Kate stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Castle's neck. He tensed out of surprise from her touch.

"No obligation…" She muttered into his ear as she reached down and pulled his arms around her.

"Kate," he said softly, looking down at her. "Are you aware that there is currently no music playing?"

The music had been temporarily cut off for the throwing of the bouquet. Beckett didn't need to even glance over her shoulder to know that Lanie was still surrounded on the dance floor. Her voice could be heard throughout the hall as she giggled and chatted.

"Shut up, Castle," she mumbled, reaching to lift his arms to her waist. "This is me apologizing."

"I'll take what I can get," Castle smiled and pulled her closer as he finally let himself relax. He began to sway slowly, leading her in a slow dance, gripping her waist tightly as they moved.

In the back of her mind Kate thought of how this must look. They were standing aside from the crowd, yes, but they weren't at all out of sight. They were pulled close to each other, dancing in silence. How could that look?

But as soon as she realized how it looked, she realized that she also didn't mind. Let everyone think whatever they wanted to. This was what she needed to do… what she wanted to do, and for once, she wasn't going to let any second thoughts stop her. She was going to have this day, whether it was a logically good idea or not.

They moved together, keeping slow time with no music at all, but still managing to move in a graceful dance. No one interrupted them, but Beckett could feel stares from behind her. The chatter had lessened dramatically when they'd started dancing, presumably being replaced with shocked, hushed discussion.

Thankfully Castle didn't give anything away. Despite the fact that he was facing the crowd and could undoubtedly see their curious looks, he kept his gaze fixed on her. Not once did he look up and reveal in any way that he knew they were being watched. Perhaps he just didn't care.

When the music finally came back on over the speaker, Kate heard Rick let out a small laugh.

"What is it?" she asked, looking up at him.

"You…" he said, lowering his gaze to meet hers. "Us… I mean… this." He gestured slightly around them and knew he was referring to the night as a whole. The dancing, the flirting… they hadn't been like they usually were.

"My mom used to say that people release themselves at weddings. She'd tell me that it's so easy to get lost in the happiness. People see…" She stopped and took a deep breath, memories of her mom filling her mind. Castle squeezed her tighter towards him, and tried to provide a close kind of comfort. She looked up at him graciously for a moment before continuing. "People see how happy couples are at their weddings, and they start to wish desperately that they can have that for themselves. That's why so many couples meet at weddings, because they're hoping they've found their chance at that future."

Castle studied her flushed face for a moment. Her eyes glistened slightly as if she was still overcome with thoughts of her mom. He realized that this step, telling him this, was big. Not only was she sharing close thoughts, but she was also hinting at the fact that _they _might just be one of these couples, looking for their chance. Instead of voicing this, he left it unsaid. He only said what he felt she truly needed to hear.

"I think that your mother was a very smart woman, Kate," he murmured softly, taking her faintly shaking hand in his own and giving her all the strength that he could.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>The fluff… it burns! Actually though, I love writing it. I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I'm thinking about cutting the story here. I feel like it could be a good, open ending. Basically if I get a good idea of where to go next, or if you all just insist on more, this is probably it. I'd love to hear what you all think! Your opinions help more than you know.

Oh! And if you'd like to speak to me more, about anything, come find me at Twitter - SkyyTweet

I'd love to talk to all of you more. :) Thanks, always.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Thank you, Kate Tidly, for the idea of an epilogue. I was so inspired that last night, this all just kind of flowed out. I didn't want to wait a week to show it to you all, so here it is. This is the last chapter, and probably the fluffiest thing I've ever written. I truly hope it satisfies.

* * *

><p><strong>3 years later.<strong>

* * *

><p>Kate Beckett studied her reflection in the mirror diligently. Her hair fell in soft curls, framing her face. Her makeup was light and natural. The dress she wore was long and elegant. She had toyed with the idea of getting something edgy, but ultimately she'd fallen in love with a classic white dress.<p>

She felt beautiful. She felt like a princess.

As she brushed one curl back into place, a quiet knock on the door distracted her from her actions. "Come in," she said, turning to see who was entering.

Richard Castle poked his head in the door.

"This is bad luck, you know." Beckett shifted to face him as he walked into the room and shut the door.

"I thought I was the superstitious one?" His words came out in one quick breath, as though they were forced. His eyes swept over her and he stood, not speaking, only looking. Staring. Observing her with wide eyes as he had so many times before.

"Castle?" Kate asked, beginning to worry that something was wrong.

He didn't answer, only shook his head slightly and looked her up and down again.

"Rick, hey… Are you…" She stood up to take a step towards him and he reached for her hands and caught her stare.

"You…" he swallowed as though he couldn't find the right words. Richard Castle, superstar novelist, couldn't find the words. "You are beautiful, Kate Beckett." He said, his eyes never leaving hers. "You are perfect." He ran a gentle hand up her waist to toy with a loose curl.

Beckett couldn't stop the blush that still, to this day, followed his compliments. His tuxedo fit him in all the right ways. His hair fell, as it usually did, flawlessly.

"You're not so bad yourself, Castle," she said, reaching up to adjust his tie slightly. "So why are you here?" She asked, taking a step back to face the mirror and check her appearance again. It was turning into a nervous habit, but this was her wedding day. Everything needed to be perfect.

"You're not happy to see me?" He asked, and raised a hand to his chest as if she'd injured him.

Kate turned around to flash him a smile. "I'm happy to see you," she assured him, but didn't loose the look of curiosity. He was here for a reason; she could see it.

In the silence, Castle realized that she was waiting for further explanation. He started to run his hand through his hair in a nervous fashion but stopped when he remembered that he really didn't need to be messing it up.

"Kate, I love you," he said, his breath hitching. Something that Beckett could have sworn was fear shone in his eyes. "I love you with everything that I have, but I want you to know… There are no obligations for you."

Realization dawned on Beckett suddenly. He was still feeling like she didn't truly want him, despite the fact that 3 years ago at Jenny and Ryan's wedding, she had done everything to prove him wrong. They had danced intimately, talked, and later in the evening, she had finally brought her lips crashing to his in frustration after he had again promised that she didn't owe him anything.

Ryan's wedding had been the beginning. After that night, they had been together. It wasn't traditional. He didn't "ask her out." They were just, together. Like they'd always been, but different; now he would kiss her instead of merely wiggle his eyebrows. She would brush against him in a more intimate way than she'd ever dared. They would visit each other's homes only to stay until the next morning. The pancakes that Castle often made actually _did _serve as a 'thank you' for the night before.

That wedding, the one night, it had started them on the road to where they were now.

"Castle," she took a step away from the mirror and towards her partner. "You don't get it, do you?" She shook her head in frustration. "I love you," she said, in an almost angry tone. "Really and truly, love you. You're not a backup. At least not now…"

Castle raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Well, you kind of were for Ryan's wedding," she smirked playfully and continued. "But even then, you weren't… not really. It was always you, Rick. Always. So don't you dare try and tell me that there are no obligations. I know that, and if you bring it up again, I might just have to shoot you… in the shoulder."

"Not kill me?" He asked before her could consider his words. She had always used to threaten death.

"I'd miss you," she said with a shrug.

The writer laughed out loud and reached to pull his girlfriend, his very soon to be wife, Kate, into his arms. "I love you," he said into her ear as he squeezed her and wondered how he could have possibly gotten so lucky.

Instead of answering, Beckett reached up and grabbed his tie gently, pulling him down to meet her. Her shoes were by the door, and without them, the height difference between them was much more noticeable.

He obliged gladly and leaned down to meet her lips in a kiss. It was soft and careful. After all, they did both have carefully formed wedding appearances to keep up.

When they broke apart Beckett glanced at the clock on the wall. "You have to go," she said, leaning away from him.

He flashed her sad eyes that had always worked so well. "I have to?" He asked.

"Do you want to get married or not?" She said sternly.

He smiled at her and turned for the door. He lingered there for a moment, his eyes fixed on her.

"God, you are stunning," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"Wedding, Castle! Wedding! Starting very, very soon," she said, trying desperately to remind herself of the time as well.

"Of course, yeah," he said in a flustered voice. "See you soon," he grinned as he closed the door.

Only then did Kate allow herself to sit down and smile widely to herself.

So _this _was how Jenny had felt. _This _was the reason that she'd smiled the entire night of the wedding. _This _was the future that her mom had talked about.

Kate Castle had a nice ring to it, she thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Bam, said the lady. There it is. I've never had an easier time writing a chapter, actually. This is officially the last chapter of the story. It's been a great ride and I've enjoyed every minute of writing this. Thank you to everyone who has followed it all the way, thank you for every kind review that's ever been posted, (You have no idea how much those mean to me) and thank you for reading. I appreciate you all, always.

If you'd like to keep in touch with me, maybe talk about the story or just Castle in general, you can find me on Twitter - SkyyTweet. I would love to hear from all of you.

Stay tuned to my page for more Castle stories to come. Something new is already in the works.

Until next time.


End file.
